Bring back the victory garden. - Page 2

starshard0 · 04-24-2008, 11:15 AM

A milk jug planter sounds like a neat idea. Has anyone ever tried making one?

lucille · 04-24-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starshard0

A milk jug planter sounds like a neat idea. Has anyone ever tried making one?

You read my mind!?!
I just got done publishing a blog post on how to do this earlier today.
http://darkstyleblog.blogspot.com/

It is how to create a mini greenhouse out of a PET milk bottle but the same idea sans the cover would work with an opaque milk jug or orange juice container by using the bottom of it as a pot.

We are going to try growing tomatoes upside down in 5 gal buckets this year. I have found a bunch of places that have instructions. It will hopefully give us a bunch of extra growing space and some shade for our lower patio.

starshard0 · 04-24-2008, 02:50 PM

That's awesome! I'm actually thinking about making a terrarium out of some trash I collected and washed, I'll have to upload a picture as soon as it's finished.

rhino · 04-24-2008, 05:55 PM

I use paper cups to start seedlings. You can get like 75 cups for $1.20 and you can re-use them many times!

For bigger plants, you can use about anything. Old coffee cans, bucks, milk jugs, beer boxes - just get creative!

pidgeon92 · 04-24-2008, 07:07 PM

We plant a few things every year, always end up with more than we can eat.... Last year for the first time we planted arugula. It was an amazing crop. You'd clip it one day, the next day it would all come back. We ate it almost every day, and it was just a few plants. Perfect if you have a foot or two of space.

lucille · 04-25-2008, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

We plant a few things every year, always end up with more than we can eat.... Last year for the first time we planted arugula. It was an amazing crop. You'd clip it one day, the next day it would all come back. We ate it almost every day, and it was just a few plants. Perfect if you have a foot or two of space.

We grew mesculn lettuce in the planter beds of the house we used to rent. They were supposed to be for decorative plants but the landlord had let them all die off so the beds were just dirt. We got a bunch of lettuce over the summer I never had to buy it.

Lisa23 · 04-25-2008, 05:04 AM

We just dug up more of the lawn for planting, and have joined a local CSA. The problem with all this is that it takes time. Oh well. Wish me luck that I don't break my back shoveling the 5 yds of loam we're having delivered tomorrow!

lucille · 04-25-2008, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa23

We just dug up more of the lawn for planting, and have joined a local CSA. The problem with all this is that it takes time. Oh well. Wish me luck that I don't break my back shoveling the 5 yds of loam we're having delivered tomorrow!

It certainly is work. Something we have done in the past to lessen the labor was to buy soaker hoses, put one in each bed and anchor it down. Then all we had to do was drag the hose from bed to bed, hook it up and go check it later. I have used newspaper under mulch to block out areas that don't have plants to choke out weeds and keep more moisture in the bed. Last year we used a form of intensive gardening where you plant things in combination. We put baby lettuce in the dirt around our tomato plants. It grows great in the shade of the tomato plant and really keeps the weeds down. It also saves space. We also planted peas & beans together. The peas took off at first and started to die out as the beans took over.

kav122 · 04-25-2008, 05:39 AM

thanks, lucille! that is some great info!!!

Can't remember if it was you or amandajane or someone else that I got the milk jug idea from. It was on another thread. They worked great. Just cut the jug in half below the handle and use the bottom for a pot. The seeds that were planted in the milkjugs (I would set the top back on after planting to keep them extra warm) grew twice as fast as plants that weren't!!!

I can't wait till it is warm enough for me to put everything outside!

amandajane · 04-26-2008, 04:13 AM

My container garden is going ok. It's a learning process for sure though. I have spinach and silverbeet, tomatoes, runner beans, capsicum and herbs all planted in containers. The herbs have done really well. I would think that it would depend on your climate though, I live in New Zealand and this year has been particularly mild which probably isn't a good sign for global warming

I use anything that will suffice for plant pots - freecycle is a great way to find plant pots. I have heaps now and the cost of the soil isn't bad. It's fun!

I also have an interest in macro photography (for Uni) and hope to plants some flower seeds shortly, no good for food obviously but very inexpensive and full of colour that makes me smile :0)

04-25-2008, 05:04 AM	#17
Lisa23 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 104 Reputation: (13)	We just dug up more of the lawn for planting, and have joined a local CSA. The problem with all this is that it takes time. Oh well. Wish me luck that I don't break my back shoveling the 5 yds of loam we're having delivered tomorrow! __________________ Lisa Greener Pastures

04-26-2008, 04:13 AM	#20
amandajane Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 417 Reputation: (191)	My container garden is going ok. It's a learning process for sure though. I have spinach and silverbeet, tomatoes, runner beans, capsicum and herbs all planted in containers. The herbs have done really well. I would think that it would depend on your climate though, I live in New Zealand and this year has been particularly mild which probably isn't a good sign for global warming I use anything that will suffice for plant pots - freecycle is a great way to find plant pots. I have heaps now and the cost of the soil isn't bad. It's fun! I also have an interest in macro photography (for Uni) and hope to plants some flower seeds shortly, no good for food obviously but very inexpensive and full of colour that makes me smile :0) __________________ frugal life blog

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04-24-2008, 11:15 AM	#11
starshard0 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 102 Reputation: (10)	A milk jug planter sounds like a neat idea. Has anyone ever tried making one?

04-24-2008, 02:50 PM	#13
starshard0 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 102 Reputation: (10)	That's awesome! I'm actually thinking about making a terrarium out of some trash I collected and washed, I'll have to upload a picture as soon as it's finished.

04-24-2008, 05:55 PM	#14
rhino Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 13 Reputation: (10)	I use paper cups to start seedlings. You can get like 75 cups for $1.20 and you can re-use them many times! For bigger plants, you can use about anything. Old coffee cans, bucks, milk jugs, beer boxes - just get creative!

04-24-2008, 07:07 PM	#15
pidgeon92 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Waukegan IL Posts: 32 Reputation: (12)	We plant a few things every year, always end up with more than we can eat.... Last year for the first time we planted arugula. It was an amazing crop. You'd clip it one day, the next day it would all come back. We ate it almost every day, and it was just a few plants. Perfect if you have a foot or two of space.

04-25-2008, 05:39 AM	#19
kav122 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 506 Reputation: (238)	thanks, lucille! that is some great info!!! Can't remember if it was you or amandajane or someone else that I got the milk jug idea from. It was on another thread. They worked great. Just cut the jug in half below the handle and use the bottom for a pot. The seeds that were planted in the milkjugs (I would set the top back on after planting to keep them extra warm) grew twice as fast as plants that weren't!!! I can't wait till it is warm enough for me to put everything outside!